Lin Jiayi was even more excited. He earnestly talked Yang Hao around, keeping it up until he had coaxed him all the way to the examination room for a physical.
"Beep, beep, beep..."
The scanning beams swept over Yang Hao, but a string of alarms sounded.
"Director, there are lots of rare metals inside his body, and he weighs a ton. This isn't normal."
The teacher operating the equipment nearly popped his eyes out. Lin Jiayi, standing beside him, was just as astonished.
What was going on?
"I used a Soul Skill to control rare metals and smelt them into my body, strengthening it, especially my bones."
Yang Hao was completely candid. As he spoke, he quickly manifested the Deep Silver Mother within his body across the surface of his skin, forming a gleaming golden suit of armor. He looked like a majestic, divine Golden Saint.
"You can use it like that?"
Lin Jiayi was astonished once again, then his eyes burned with excitement.
This was a natural-born Soul Engineer!
If calling him a future Level 10 Soul Engineer had previously been just a way to persuade him, now Lin Jiayi was certain of it.
With the beginnings of a Life Soul Tool and a Soul Skill that could control rare metals, there was no way he wouldn't become a Level 10 Soul Engineer. It would defy all reason.
"How strong is this armor's defense?"
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Lin Jiayi wanted to know whether it was just for show or the real deal.
"This Soul Armor was made from Deep Sea Silver Mother. Its defenses are extremely strong. Even a Titled Douluo can't break it, but my body can't withstand that kind of impact."
Yang Hao remained completely candid.
"Isn't silver supposed to be a different color?"
Lin Jiayi was confused. He knew about Deep Sea Silver, and it wasn't this gleaming gold.
"It's gold-plated. Silver doesn't look as good."
Yang Hao explained that it had been plated. After all, appearance mattered too.
"I see."
"Student Luo Feng, from this moment on, you're a member of our Royal Soul Master Academy."
Lin Jiayi promptly changed how he addressed him. This boy absolutely had to join their Royal Soul Master Academy.
No one was taking him away!
"Have you had any experience with the Soul Engineer system?"
Lin Jiayi grew even warmer and kinder, showing the boy his concern.
"I've studied a little, but not systematically. That's why my teacher arranged for me to study at the Royal Soul Master Academy.
"It's also part of a deal. We'll exchange one of our research achievements for the chance to learn everything about your academy's Soul Tool system."
Yang Hao explained the deal. It was a shortcut he had come up with himself.
He didn't have time to study here step by step. To save time, he could only use the back door.
"Your teacher is...?"
Lin Jiayi was curious.
"My teacher is the leader of the Bright Cult."
Yang Hao delivered the line he had prepared in advance. He had no intention of hiding it. This was the Royal Academy, and once he entered, people were bound to investigate his background.
Chapter 53: Borrowing a Chicken to Lay Eggs
"Your teacher is the leader of the Bright Cult?"
After receiving word from Lin Jiayi, Jing Hongchen, who had been conducting research at Mingde Hall, hurried over at once. He looked the boy over in surprise.
The Bright Cult was a mysterious but powerful force that had risen in recent years. It had Titled Douluo-level experts among its ranks.
He hadn't expected one of the Bright Cult leader's disciples to come study at their Royal Soul Master Academy.
"Greetings, senior!"
Yang Hao bowed. It was a sign of respect for the strong, as well as a display of his manners and temperament.
I, Yang, no... I, Luo, was truly here to study. I wasn't here to be some spoiled young master.
"You said you wanted to represent the Bright Cult in a deal with our academy. All the knowledge of our Soul Tool system is extremely precious."
Jing Hongchen was curious. The other party had dared to ask for so much, so he had to have something to back it up.
"It's a method for deeply developing rare metals. We call it the Three Refinements Method. It's bound to bring about a revolution in the Soul Tool system."
Yang Hao manifested his silver-mother Soul Armor again to show him what he meant.
It wasn't easy to learn everything about the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Tool system, especially the high-level knowledge, which was considered strategic.
"What makes it special?"
Jing Hongchen was puzzled. He was familiar with metal manipulation. His own grandson could do it, and could even create numerous Soul Guidance Cannons for battle in a short time.
This was just another change in the shape of metal, turning it into armor.
"Our Bright Cult uses the Three Refinements Method to deeply develop rare metals, then combines it with Soul Tool principles to create Soul Armor modeled after Soul Bones. It can be fitted with multiple Soul Tool cores to grant all sorts of abilities, such as flight."
As Yang Hao explained, he demonstrated. Several thruster vents quickly formed beneath the Soul Armor's feet and on its back. When his Soul Power activated them, jets of air sent him soaring into the air. He showed off several other abilities as well, leaving Jing Hongchen and Lin Jiayi stunned, then thrilled—so thrilled their old faces turned red.
"How did you do it?"
Jing Hongchen couldn't help asking. They were also researching composite Soul Tools and had even built a huge prototype, but there were still many hurdles they hadn't overcome.
Even if they did overcome them, they would struggle to switch between functions as freely as this. It was already beyond anything they understood.
"The key is the materials. Rare metals are the foundation of Soul Tools, but the current Soul Tool system only purifies them in a basic way. Our Bright Cult, on the other hand, deeply develops rare metals.
"Once a material's properties improve, the Soul Tools made from it naturally perform better. They might even break through the current limits of Soul Tool levels.
"But our Bright Cult hasn't achieved much in the Soul Tool system, so my teacher sent me to study at your academy. This is a form of cooperation, too."
Yang Hao seemed utterly candid and sincere.
"I can't agree to this on my own, but I'll do everything I can to make it happen."
Jing Hongchen's eyes flickered. He didn't agree immediately because this was beyond his authority. The Emperor would have to approve it.
He also needed to thoroughly investigate the Bright Cult and make sure there were no problems.
No matter how sincere the other party seemed, some things had to be guarded against.
"Then I'll leave it to you, senior."
Yang Hao nodded in agreement. He was very patient about this sort of thing.
"I'll call you Xiao Feng from now on."
Jing Hongchen showed a kind, familiar warmth. This boy was worth winning over.
"Could your rare metal form prosthetics for people with disabilities?"
He very much wanted to make this happen. If they obtained the secret to deeply developing rare metals, Mingde Hall could lead this revolution in the Soul Tool system, bringing them benefits in every direction.
But getting it done would be difficult. He thought of a possible breakthrough: the Crown Prince, who was in a wheelchair.
If he could persuade the Crown Prince to support this, the odds of success would rise greatly.
Besides, the Crown Prince had previously asked him to make a Soul Tool Prosthetic. He still hadn't come up with a satisfactory result. Now that he had rare metals developed to this degree, he could definitely do it.
"A prosthetic?"
Yang Hao appeared surprised and puzzled, then sank into thought. But in his heart, he had already guessed what Jing Hongchen was planning.
After pondering for quite a while, he gave an uncertain answer.
"I haven't tried it, but in theory, it should work. He'd just need time to get used to controlling it. I'd have to run some experiments to know for sure."
"Just tell me what you need. I'll do everything I can to provide it. Once we succeed, your deal will basically be settled."
Jing Hongchen was overjoyed. This was practically a done deal.
"I'll give it my all, senior."
Yang Hao's expression grew serious.
Seeing the boy still address him as a junior, Jing Hongchen understood that he hadn't truly joined their Royal Academy yet. He was waiting to see how the deal turned out. Clearly, he had other options.
That was easy to understand. The Royal Academy was the best choice, but it wasn't the only one.
"I'll need every kind of rare metal, and then some people to take part in the experiments."
Yang Hao stated his requirements. They would need to conduct a great many experiments, which was also the main reason he had chosen to trade with Soul Armor.
There was no helping it. Although he had used the Battle Armor designs from the era of Dou San as a reference to cobble together Soul Armor, it was only a foundation. It still needed to incorporate the Soul Tool system.
The Holy Spirit Cult had quite a few Soul Tools, but they were all severely specialized, including those of his own teacher.
So he could only come to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. He would also rely on the Sun Moon Empire to complete the Soul Armor system. In the end, they would get the results much faster than if they researched it on their own.
Huo Yuhao would become a god in a little over a decade. They had to race against time.
At the same time, strengthening the Sun Moon Empire could weaken the Three Great Empires of Douluo and Shrek Academy in the war to come. It killed several birds with one stone.
"I'll have all of that arranged soon. I'll take you to Mingde Hall. From now on, you can study there, and I'll teach you personally."
Jing Hongchen extended an invitation. He thought very highly of the boy.
"Thank you, Senior Hongchen."
Yang Hao thanked him. This was exactly what he needed.
"Why would your Bright Cult want to bring out this kind of technology?"
Jing Hongchen voiced the question in his heart. Though he didn't yet fully understand this technology for deeply developing rare metals, he had seen enough to recognize its potential. It could absolutely revolutionize the Soul Tool system and even change the balance of power on the continent.
Its value was immeasurable.
"This technology has unlimited potential. If we relied on our own strength to develop it successfully, it would take at least several hundred or even a thousand years.
"That's far too long. Countless things could change in that time.
Before you continue